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Strauss argued that [[Classical liberalism|liberalism]] in its modern form (which is oriented toward [[Liberty|universal freedom]] as opposed to "ancient liberalism" which is oriented toward [[Virtue ethics|human excellence]]), contained within it an intrinsic tendency towards extreme [[relativism]], which in turn led to two types of [[nihilism]]:<ref>Thomas L. Pangle, "Epilogue", 907–38 in ''History of Political Philosophy'', ed. Leo Strauss and Joseph Cropsey, 3rd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987) 907–8.</ref>
* The first was a "brutal" nihilism, expressed in [[Nazi]] and [[Bolshevik]] regimes. In ''On Tyranny'', he wrote that these [[ideologies]], both descendants of [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] thought, tried to destroy all traditions, history, ethics, and moral standards and replace them by force under which nature and mankind are subjugated and conquered.<ref>Leo Strauss, ''On Tyranny'' (New York: Free Press, 1991) 22–23, 178.</ref>
* The second type—the "gentle" nihilism expressed in Western [[liberal democracy|liberal democracies]]—was a kind of value-free aimlessness and a [[hedonism|hedonistic]] "permissive [[egalitarianism]]," which he saw as permeating the fabric of contemporary American society.<ref>Leo Strauss, "The Crisis of Our Time", 41–54 in Howard Spaeth, ed., ''The Predicament of Modern Politics'' (Detroit: University of Detroit Press, 1964) 47–48.</ref><ref>Leo Strauss, "What Is Political Philosophy?" 9–55 in Leo Strauss, ''What Is Political Philosophy? and Other Studies'' (Glencoe, IL: The Free Press, 1959) 18–19.</ref> In the belief that 20th-century relativism, [[scientism]], [[historicism]], and nihilism were all implicated in the deterioration of [[modernism|modern society]] and philosophy, Strauss sought to uncover the philosophical pathways that had led to this situation. The resultant study led him to advocate a tentative return to classical political philosophy as a starting point for judging political action.<ref>Leo Strauss, ''The City and Man'' (Chicago: Rand McNally, 1964) 10–11.</ref>
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